The Lost Light
by Belles7
Summary: Where there's a shadow, there needs to be a light. After scoring the final points during the Winter Cup, Kuroko Tetsuya finds himself facing another obstacle. Now that a mystery man has appeared, wanting something from Kuroko, the Generation of Miracles find themselves thrown into a whole different world, meeting different sides of their phantom man. Image info on my profile!
1. Chapter 1

**The Lost Light**

* * *

**SUMMARY:** Where there's a shadow, there needs to be a light. After scoring the final points during the Winter Cup, Kuroko Tetsuya finds himself facing another obstacle. Now that a mystery man has appeared, wanting something from Kuroko, the Generation of Miracles find themselves thrown into a whole different world, meeting different sides of their phantom man. Just what is going on with Tetsuya?

* **Disclaimer:** OCs are mine. The other world is mine (read and you shall find out). Everyone else belongs to Fujimaki.

* * *

_Chapter 1: Found You_

"W-what the hell was that?" Imayoshi stuttered, gripping his knees. He turned to look at the also surprised Aomine and scanned the audience. Everyone was pretty shocked, even Momoi. No one said anything about the phantom man being able to enter the zone!

"I never knew Tetsu-kun was capable of that," the pink-haired manager murmured, both in awe and fear.

…

_What's going on?_ Akashi thought as Kuroko twisted around; his arms stretched, snatching the ball from his hands. _I was sure he was going to fall. My ankle break never fails! Did he purposely make it look like he was going to fall, only to take the ball from behind me?_

Kuroko regained his balance, dribbled away from the half-court line and closer to the three pointer line on Rakuzan's side of the court.

"Tetsuya!" Akashi shouted, bending his knees to jump and smack the ball out of the bluenette's hold. Unfortunately, he failed to jump in time as Kuroko had already jumped, scoring three points in the remaining second.

Akashi stood several feet away from the phantom teen, experiencing the feeling of defeat for the first time in his life. Having Kuroko block his Emperor's Eye earlier with the help of Kagami was bad, losing the Winter Cup to Seirin was even worse.

The buzzer cried out loudly and Kuroko snapped out of his mysterious mode, landing back on his feet again. The hair on his arms stuck up. He glanced at the score. Seirin won with 80 points whereas Rakuzan had 79.

"Kuuuuuroooookoooo! We did it!" Kagami shouted, hugging Hyuuga and the others. Kuroko turned to look at his teammates, all of them crying and sniffing and yelling loudly. Then, he felt it, sensing it for the first time in the five years he had been gone from home. _Ame _was here.

The bluenette scanned the crowd, seeing some members of the Generation of Miracles and finally spotted the man in a black tux standing in the back of the audience. He smiled, waving casually.

"_Congrats, Kuro-chan."_

Kuroko froze at the man's clear voice. It was as if his voice traveled all the way to the court. Actually, that was what really happened. Deciding to play it off, Kuroko returned to his teammates. However, he couldn't bring himself to celebrate with Seirin whole-heartedly, especially since he had more things to worry about now.

...

"Kurokocchi entered the zone?" Kise pondered aloud, remembering how his ex-teammate moved. Kuroko moved in flashes, like lightning! His blue eyes had a lethal gaze and his presence became more evident, more dominating. He wasn't lacking any presence in those last seconds. What happened?

"He's never done that before?" Kasamatsu asked, curious.

Kise shook his head, looking grim. "If Kurokocchi is able to enter the zone now, that means our competition just increased another level."

The Kaijou captain smirked, crossing his arms, and said, "The Winter Cup goes to Seirin this year. We'll get them next year, Kise."

"Yes, sempai!"

…

"Kuroko! I didn't know you could do that!" Kagami excitedly said, throwing his hands in the air. "You were so cool! Zip here and flash there... it didn't seem like it was you at all!"

Kuroko stared ahead of him as his team walked out of the locker room and into the hallways. "It didn't seem like me... is that what you really think?"

"Huh?" Kagami scratched his head. "Uh, well, not in the bad way. The style was just so different from what you've showed us, you know?"

"Who cares, Kagami!" Hyuuga muttered, grinning. "Seirin won, that's all. _We_ won, guys! Let's go celebrate!"

And right then, Kuroko ceased walking.

"What's the matter, Kuroko?" Riko asked, curious.

He pulled out his phone. "Please go ahead. I have to take a phone call."

Kagami frowned, getting ready to complain, but Riko dragged him away with the rest of the team. "Alright, Kuroko, we'll be at the Teriyaki BBQ, okay?"

Kuroko nodded, walking the opposite way, and answered his phone. "Hello, Kuroko Tetsuya speaking."

"Ah, Kuro-chan. It's been so long since I've heard your voice."

"Did you need something?"

"Come on, Kuro-chan. Why so serious? We haven't seen each other in years."

"Why are you here?" Kuroko asked.

"Eh~? Don't be so mean, Kuro-chan."

"Forgive my bluntness, Ame-kun. I am simply curious as to why you are here," the bluenette explained.

"Meet me at the steps by the west wing, okaaaay~?"

"Wouldn't it be more convenient to meet in the front?" Kuroko asked, stopping in the empty hallway.

"But I want to meet with you in private and besides, Kuro-chan, _you're_ the one who showed yourself."

…

"Aka-chin, you lost to Kuro-chin!" the purple-haired giant stated, tossing chips into his mouth.

"Atsushi, you shouldn't eat too much snacks right before you are going to eat dinner," Akashi remarked, leaning against the wall as they waited for Kise.

Aomine smirked. "Now, now, Akashi, just admit it. You're mad that you lost... to Tetsu." The tanned basketball player snickered and Momoi smacked his arm.

"Mo~, Dai-chan, don't be so rude!"

"Satsuki, you were being rude, hitting me like that!" Aomine shot back.

"Hey, you-" Momoi started and instantly closed her mouth when she spotted a flash of blue. She murmured with concern, "Tetsu-kun?"

The others turned to look at the stoic ex-member disappear outside. Momoi pursed her lips. "I thought Seirin just went that way?" She pointed to the right.

"Heh! Sorry, I was late guys!" Kise shouted, running to them. He scratched the back of his neck. "I had to sign some stuff again, you know, for my fans."

"Huh?" Aomine said, uninterestedly. "Like we care?"

"Mine-chin's being mean again~!" Murasakibara stated.

"Hah? How am I being mean, Murasakibara?" Aomine remarked, balling his fists up into the air. "I didn't even say anything to you yet!"

Murasakibura smirked. "You're so fun to tease, Mine-chin."

"Did you guys call Kurokocchi yet?" Kise asked, wanting to congratulate the guy personally.

Momoi laughed nervously, constantly looking at Akashi and Kise, and said, "Eh, well, um..."

_Akashi-kun's still kind of mad, so maybe it's best to not have Tetsu-kun come? _Momoi wondered. _  
_

…

"Wow, Kuro-chan! You're still as short as ever!"

The corners of Kuroko's lips tilted downwards. "Was this all you came to tell me, Ame-kun? If so, I must take my leave first then."

Ame held his hands up, motioning for the Winter Cup champion to not leave. "I was just playing around, Kuro-chan."

He coughed behind a fist and continued in a serious tone, "Anyways, you wanted to know why I was here right?"

"Yes."

Ame hopped on top of the rail, casually stuffing his hands into the pockets of his tuxedo pants. He looked over his shoulder at the blue-haired teen and smiled ominously. "Or were you actually wondering _how_ I found you?"

"You're accurate as usual, Ame-kun."

Ame looked away, tilting his face to the sky. "Who would of thought you'd be playing basketball in the human world, Kuro-chan?"

He glanced at Kuroko, who made a serious face, and chuckled. "Ah, just kidding, Kuro-chan. Considering how good you were at the sport, it's pretty obvious that you'd be playing basketball in this world."

Ame frowned as a certain thought dawned upon him. "Tch. I should've figured you'd be playing basketball. Maybe if I had thought of this faster, we would have found you sooner?"

"I wouldn't know, Ame-kun."

"Serious as ever, Kuro-chan." Ame hopped off the rail onto the steps, leaning forward, and turned his head an angle to give Kuroko a playful look. "I've come to take you back home, o_touto_." He ascended the steps until he was standing on the highest step.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, you have been found. Time go back home."

"I will come home once I find it, nii-sama."

Leaning against the rail, Ame smirked. "Now I know why you've been able to survive in this world, Kuro-chan. You've been substituting your light, haven't you?"

Kuroko remained stoic as usual.

"You wanted to know how I found you, right? I guess it was because you didn't have a light during those last seconds of your match. It really was spectacular, _otouto_, your match. I never knew humans could play so skillfully...some could even play like us, don't you think?"

"Humans are full of surprises, nii-sama. It would do you good not to underestimate them," Kuroko responded.

"Sounds like you've become fond of them, Kuro-chan."

"They have their goods and bad just as we do, nii-sama."

Ame sighed, reminding himself to continue explaining. "Back to what I was saying, Kuro-chan, you were discovered the moment you decided to make that shot yourself. There was no light to cast you a shadow. What was his name?...Ah, Kagami-kun, that's right!"

Kuroko narrowed his blue eyes.

"If I remember correctly, wasn't he the tall, red-head on your team? He's quite a powerful one, just imagine if he's was equipped with some of our magic?" Ame suggested.

"Nii-sama, please watch yourself. You are digressing again."

"Ah, yes, of course, Kuro-chan. As I was saying earlier, Kagami-kun is your light; unfortunately, he was being blocked and there were only seconds left for someone to score a point. However, the rest of your teammates were being blocked so you decided to make a shot, quite a remarkable one I'd have to say."

Ame took a step towards Kuroko. "Even though you've lost your light, I managed to sense it. Well, actually, _Aoi-chan_ sensed it."

"Aoi-chan?" Kuroko repeated.

Ame shook his head in disbelief. "I have no idea how she sensed it, but she did. We were playing and then, she suddenly said that she sensed you somewhere in this world. Of course, it became more evident once we entered this world, even I could smell your shadow."

Ame tsked. "If there's a shadow, there needs to be a light. You were in need of a light and that's why I came, Kuro-chan. It felt like the old days, back at home, remember? I was your light and you were the shadow. Of course, your powers were very uplifting to our duo attacks."

Kuroko let out a breath of air. "No wonder why I felt different." He looked back at his pale hands, curling his fingers. He hadn't felt so much energy since he left home. For the first time in five years, he was able to play how he used to. It was different from the times he paired with Aomine or Kagami. The experiences from playing with Ame was out of this world.

"Now let's go home, Kuro-chan." Ame extended his hand to his younger brother.

Guilt bubbled in his heart, but Kuroko shook his head, looking apologetic. "I must politely decline your offer, nii-sama. I am still in search of my light."

Ame quirked a brow. "Tetsuya, this isn't an offer; it's an order."

"Hah? What's an order?" Aomine said lazily, stretching his hands over his head. Kuroko turned to see the Generation of Miracles walking to them. Momoi wore a worried expression.

"Oi, are you bothering Kurokocchi, mister?" Kise demanded, draping an arm around the bluenette's shoulders.

Ame rocked back on his heels, assessing the newcomers. "Eh~? So this is the almighty Generation of Miracles? You guys surely are a work of art. You've got a keen eye, Akashi-taichou."

Akashi's basketball jacket was draped over his shoulders, gracefully flapping like a king's cape. Akashi lifted his chin and cocked his head to the side. "You seem to know me, sir. May I know your name as well?"

Ame bowed. "Forgive my rudeness. I am Tsukino Ame. I have come for Kuro-chan."

"You know Kuro-chin?" Murasakibura asked.

"Of course, I do. I bet I've known him much longer than you all have," Ame challenged, smirking.

Midorima touched the frames of his glasses, eyeing the mysterious man cautiously. "What business do you have with Kuroko?"

Ame smiled. "That's private, Midorima-kun."

"Hmm, you seem to have heard of me," Midorima muttered.

Ame clapped his hands together. "Of course, I have. Akashi Seijuro, Kise Ryota, Murasakibura Atsushi, Aomine Daiki, Midorima Shintaro, and the lovely lady, Satsuki Momoi." Ame eyed the pink-haired manager with interest and winked at her, causing the others to step in front of her.

"Ooh, possessive, aren't we?" Ame phrased, quirking his black brows. He raked a hand through his short, black hair. "Unfortunately for you guys, I always get what I want."

"Ame-kun, please stop being rude," Kuroko scolded, pushing the man's face with his palm. "It's rude to stare."

"But she's just so pretty. I couldn't help myself, Kuro-chan! She has to be Aphrodite!"

"This is Japan, Ame-kun. Please get your country correct."

"I think I-"

"Please be quiet, Ame-kun." Kuroko bowed to his ex-teammates in goodbye and turned back to Ame.

Suddenly, the Generation of Miracles found themselves staring at an amusingly familiar scene. Kuroko was pulling Ame by his ear lobe, dragging him away from the pink-haired manager. Kise laughed, remembering how the phantom member would pull his ears back in Teiko.

"I kind of feel bad for this guy," Kise muttered, wiping the happy tears away from his golden eyes.

"That's not important, Ryota. What's more important is what the man was talking to Tetsuya about," Akashi stated, narrowing his eyes at Kuroko's fading form. What was he hiding?

* * *

A/N: First fanfic for KnB... I am so happy, squealing like a fangirl...oh, wait, I _am_ one. What do you think? Review please :D


	2. Chapter 2

**The Lost Light**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The usual people belong to Fujimaki. Ame's mine...but I'll share him with you... I still want Kuroko though ^-^

* * *

_Chapter 2: Problems_

"Kagami Taiga! Ka-ga-mi!" the teacher pronounced. He sighed and grabbed the meter stick, walking around his desk. The students in the class eyed the fuming teacher and the sleeping red-head. Sitting behind the unconscious Kagami was Kuroko. The bluenette slightly frowned, feeling concerned, and kicked the back of his teammate's chair, making him jolt awake.

"Ah, y-yes!" Kagami shouted, sitting rigidly. He finally noticed the teacher standing in front of him.

"Just because you won the Winter Cup doesn't mean you should be sleeping in my class!"

"Y-yes, sensei. I'm sorry." Kagami bowed his head a little bit, scowling at the desk as the teacher retreated back to the front of the room.

"It's a surprise you even woke up right now," the teacher muttered, bouncing the meter stick on the ground once before he tapped it on the blackboard.

Kagami peeked at Kuroko and whispered, "He didn't even notice you."

Kuroko shrugged. That was the usual.

"I think he would've hit me with that thing if you hadn't woke me up, Kuroko."

"That would be your fault then."

"Hah? W-what?"

"Kagami, why are you talking to yourself during class!"

"I-I was not talking to myself!" the angry red-head shot back as the other students chuckled and snickered in amusement.

…

"Riko was worrying her butt off since you didn't come to the celebration yesterday night," Kagami said while chewing on his sandwich. He was glad that he packed his own lunch today. No more getting trampled on during Japanese lunch time rush.

"I'm sorry."

"Tell that to her, Kuroko."

"I did. I called her yesterday and told her that I could not make it."

The red-head leaned back against the fence. "Huh, you did? I guess everything is okay then."

"I suppose so," Kuroko murmured, tilting his face upwards to stare at the tree sheltering them with shade. He remembered Ame's words from last night and stared at the oblivious red-head. _Where there's a shadow, there needs to be a light, Kuro-chan_.

"_You can't keep relying on humans to be your light, Kuro-chan."_

"_I don't intend on doing that, Ame-kun."_

"_Come back home. I'll help you find your light."_

"_It's not at home, nii-sama."_

"_How do you know? How do you know if your light's not over there?"_

"_...because I was told so."_

_Ame narrowed his dark blue eyes. "Who told you that your light wasn't in our world?"_

"_No one important, nii-sama."_

_Ame placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "We've been looking for you for five freaking years! Don't tell me that this person isn't important!"_

"_I am sorry, nii-sama. I cannot return home."_

"_Tetsuya! This person took you from Aoi-chan, mom, dad...and me. Why can't you just tell me who this person is?" _

"_Nii-sama, please stop talking about this. I don't want to talk about it anymore."_

"_Tetsuya, what's going on?" Ame murmured, watching his younger brother walk away. "Tell me for Kami's sake, Tetsuya! How else am I supposed to help you if I know nothing?"_

"_It's okay, nii-sama. For the meantime, you should go back home. I will find my light."_

"_Tetsuya, don't you understand what's going to happen if you stay here too long without your light? Your light is a part of you! You'll fade away if you stay in this world any longer! That's why you have to come back home!"_

"_Nii-sama, I have been here for five years. I won't stop searching until I find it."_

"Kuroko, oi, Kuroko!" shouted Kagami. He waved a hand in front of the thinking boy.

"Sorry about that, Kagami-kun." Kuroko stood up, dusting his pants. "We should go back to class."

Kagami nodded, eyeing the boy with concern. "You sick?"

"No."

"Oh, okay, then. That's good. What were you thinking so hard about?"

"Just thinking about yesterday, Kagami-kun."

"That match was pretty intense right? So, how did it feel like being in the zone, Kuroko?"

Kuroko glanced at the taller boy. "...It felt normal."

"Normal, huh? How?"

"I don't know how to explain it," Kuroko said. _That would involve saying too much about me._

"Hmm, then again, the zone is pretty hard to describe. You have to _feel_ it to know it." Kagami laughed freely.

Kuroko looked away, knowing that he wasn't in the zone at all yesterday.

.

… time gap, late afternoon...

.

"Where are you going, Kise?" Kasamatsu inquired.

The model held his phone up in the air, grinning. "Group meeting, sempai! Besides, we don't have practice anymore."

"You and your little group are still doing those? Don't forget to study for your exams. Coach won't let you slide if you fail any of them," Kasamatsu muttered, shaking his head. _Generation of Miracles and their childish meetings._

"Yes, sempai, I will~!"

…

"No basketball practice?" Ame asked, bending down to grab the rolling basketball.

Kuroko turned around to look at his brother. "No, not for now. Exams are coming so the coach stopped practice for now."

"Ah, I see." Ame jumped and scored a hoop, breaking into a grin.

Kuroko walked over to the bouncing ball, commenting, "Your long shots are more natural now, Ame-kun."

"Yep. Doesn't your green-haired friend shoot like this? You know, from a long distance?"

"Midorima-kun?" questioned Kuroko.

Ame nodded, walking away from the entrance to the bench. He clasped his hands behind his neck, watching Kuroko shoot.

"Midorima-kun's strength is his long distance shots. It's a good way to scare your opponents into feeling inferior," Kuroko added, catching the ball.

"You sound fond of him, Kuro-chan." Ame cocked his head to the side and watched the bluenette step back to shoot again.

Kuroko caught the rebound of his shot. "...I guess you could say that he is a friend to me."

Ame widened his dark blue eyes. "'friend'?"

He noticed Kuroko's lips quirking upward and shook his head. "I'm surprised, Kuro-chan. You have a friend and here I thought you were an introvert."

Kuroko frowned. "Please don't say that, Ame-kun. I just find it difficult to put my trust in people sometimes."

"That's understandable, otouto." Ame stood up, sticking his hands into his jeans. He smiled and suggested, "How about we play a game?"

"One-on-one?"

"Yep! Just like the old days."

"...I play different in this world, nii-sama."

"That's okay. I wanna see how you play as an individual."

…

"Where's Akashicchi?" Kise muttered, sipping his soda. "He told us to be on time and look at him." The model frowned, crossing his arms as he slumped in his seat.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Momoi murmured. She glanced at Aomine who shrugged, reading a magazine featuring a super hot, skimpily clad model. The pink-haired teen sighed. _Dai-chan_ _has no manners. Reading such a magazine in front of me!_

"Mmm... this flavor is good! I'm gonna get some more!" Murasakibara said, chucking the rest of the chips into his mouth.

"Why aren't you fat yet?" Kise asked, curious. "You're like a black hole. All you do is eat, eat, eat."

The purple giant frowned. "Meannie~! You're just jealous of my body!"

Kise leaned back in his chair, smirking. "I'm not mature enough to let it slide, Murasakibaracchi. I have to diet myself to make sure I don't get too fat. Of course, I don't really have to put a lot of effort into that because basketball keeps me in shape."

"Ryota, you are being too loud. Lower your noise level," Akashi instructed, sitting next to the purple-haired giant. "Where is Tetsuya?"

"Oh, you called him too?" Aomine asked. "I thought you didn't, that's why we didn't suspect anything."

The red-head cocked his head. "You still think I am upset I lost against him."

Aomine whistled. "Here we go again. Is that a question or a statement?"

"Daiki, you of all people should know how I am. I do not question."

"Yes, Akashi-_sama_."

Akashi threw him an annoyed look. "Rude as always, Daiki. Where is Tetsuya?"

"Beats me," Aomine answered, shrugging. Momoi gazed out the window. Where was he?

…

"No offense, Kuro-chan, but you really suck."

Lying in the middle of the outside court, Kuroko nodded. "That is exactly what Kagami-kun told me when I first played him one-on-one."

Ame sat on the bench, twirling the ball on his finger. He eyed the bluenette. "You're panting a lot, Kuro-chan. I assume this is because you've been in this world too long?"

The boy shook his head. "No. It's not because of that, nii-sama. Please don't jump to conclusions. I haven't played against someone your level in a while."

Ame chuckled. "You're right, Kuro-chan, but I still think my reason is valid. At this rate, you will disappear. You won't even have a presence anymore, even a ghost could beat you. A ghost could make itself known if it really wanted to. You, on the other hand, couldn't make yourself known even if you wanted to."

"I understand, nii-sama, and that is why I need to find my light."

Ame shook his head, seeing that the sun had finally disappeared. Darkness surrounded the court. A dim streetlight buzzed. All he could hear were distant cars zooming. "Tetsuya, come back home. It's not safe here, especially in your condition."

"I am sorry, nii-sama."

Ame looked away from Kuroko, frustrated that he couldn't help his little brother and also because Kuroko was being quite stubborn. "Your light is not here."

"Are you saying that to make me return home, Ame-kun?"

Ame rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know why I said that. I just feel like your light isn't in this world."

Kuroko stayed silent, staring at the night sky. Then, where was his light?

"There is no real light for you in this world. Humans emit light, but their light aren't bright enough to substitute the brightness of your light, Tetsuya. It's too dark for you here."

"Please stop talking like that, Ame-kun."

"It's the truth."

"I know that, Ame-kun." Kuroko stood up, grabbing his school bag. "But, it's okay." He bowed to Ame, signaling his leave.

"You're getting nowhere, Tetsuya!" Ame shouted, standing now. "You haven't got any closer to finding your light!"

"Ame-kun." The bluenette stopped walking. He turned his head, angling his face, and shifted his eyes to Ame. "Please don't make me angry." With that said, the boy exited the court, walking down the empty sidewalk.

Ame clutched the ball, feeling his hands tremble a bit. Kuroko could be scary at times, especially when he was angry, but that wouldn't stop Ame from helping him. "Tetsuya! Don't be such a jerk!"

He ran out of the court, irritated with Kuroko's behavior, and stalked over to the phantom. "Tetsuya, why won't you tell me anything!" He stepped in front of Kuroko, completely towering over him, and gripped the bluenette's shirt. "I'm trying to help you here and you're not doing anything to cooperate!"

"Please understand, Ame-kun." Kuroko lifted his face to stare up at Ame's. "This is something I must do alone."

"The hell it isn't, Tetsuya!" Ame shouted. He tightened his grip, yanking the teen closer to him. "Don't go off thinking that you can do this by yourself. I'm lending my hand to you, take it! You need all the help you can get."

Kuroko looked away from Ame. "I must refuse your help then, Ame-kun."

"Enough with your excuses, Tetsuya!" Ame shook Kuroko, gripping his small shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it when a pair of light blue eyes stared at him with annoyance. Kuroko gently pushed Ame's larger hands off his shoulders.

"Ame-kun, I didn't want to say this frankly, but I will. I do not need your help."

Ame stepped back from the annoyed teen. "Tetsuya, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, Ame-kun. This is something I must do alone. Please understand."

"Oi, is this guy bothering you again, Tetsu?" Aomine asked, sounding angry. When Kuroko turned to look at him, Aomine pressed his lips into a thin line. "This guy was bothering you, wasn't he?"

"Please don't jump to conclusions, Aomine-kun."

"Kuro-chin sounds calm to me," Murasakibara commented.

"Look at his eyes, dummy," Aomine remarked. "He was clearly annoyed."

"Don't bother Kurokocchi anymore, mister," Kise said. Akashi eyed the bluenette with suspicion. Momoi bit her lips, confused and worried all together. Midorima sighed. The horoscope was correct. Today, he would meet a friend in need- Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Oi, you high school kidos, don't get in our business." Ame leaned his head back and gave them a superior look. They had no idea who they were dealing with. Akashi filed his way to the front of his group and said, "I'm afraid this could involve us, Tsukino-san."

Ame cocked his head, smiling with amusement. "Elaborate for me, Akashi-taichou."

"Tetsuya is a friend of ours. If you want him, you'll have to get through us first." Akashi stared at the unknown man who chuckled.

Ame grinned. "I like you, Akashi-taichou. I can see why Kuro-chan is fond of you guys. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have some unfinished business with him."

Akashi narrowed his hetero eyes.

Ame shook a finger in the air and shook his head. "Ah, ah, ah. It's _confidential_ business. Please don't stick your nose where it's not needed...it might just get snipped off." Ame grinned and Kise swallowed stiffly. This man was a weird one. How did Kuroko know such a sadistic man?

"Ame-kun, please stop fooling around," Kuroko said. He turned to look at Akashi. "And Akashi-kun, please don't worry about me. Our business is finished." He bowed to everyone and turned to go, stepping away from the dim light casted from the street light.

"Oi, Tetsuya. Are you really sure about this?"

Kuroko stared at Ame. "I am a shadow. I can find my way in the dark."

After Kuroko disappeared, Ame sighed. _I failed again. Forgive me, Aoi-chan. _Forgetting that the Generation of Miracles were still there, he crossed the street without saying goodbye.

"So rude!" Kise shouted, huffing.

"Huh?" Ame turned to look at the group. "Oh. You guys are still there?"

All of them except Akashi and Murasakibara slumped at how forgetful this man was. How could he forget about them? Ame laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "My apologies. I forgot about you guys." Arrows pierced the slumped members' hearts.

"Tsukino-san, is Tetsu-kun going to be okay?" Momoi asked, recovering from her slumped form and to think that he was all over her yesterday!

Ame shrugged, smiling painfully. "I don't know."

Akashi arched his brows. What was with that face. How was Kuroko not going to be okay? What was going on?

"Go home, kids." With that said, Ame walked away.

* * *

A/N: Oh. My. KAMI! Thank you so much for the reviews. You truly made me happy :)

Tell me what you think and sorry, if things (the plot, words, etc.) aren't clear. Plot-wise, this is going as I planned. I shall explain more in the coming chapters. One step at a time, eh? Review please ;D


	3. Chapter 3

**The Lost Light**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I'm sure everything's obvious, who belongs to who and stuff like that.

* * *

_Chapter 3:_ _The Errand Boy_

"Waaaahhh~! This feels so good! Exams are over!" Kagami shouted, throwing his hands into the air. He clasped his hands behind his neck and grinned. "What are you doing for winter break, Kuroko?"

Sipping on a vanilla milkshake as he walked with Kagami, the phantom tilted his head. What was he going to do for winter break?

Kagami arched a brow. "Don't tell me you don't know what you're going to do for break? Christmas with your family? How about going on a date with that pink-haired girl of yours?"

"Momoi-san is a friend, Kagami-kun. Please don't misunderstand."

The red-head laughed. "She really likes you. You're sure you don't like her?"

Kuroko pursed his lips. "I don't know. We haven't spent much time together since middle school." His lips formed a slight frown. "I feel like I'm growing distant from my old friends."

Kagami shrugged. "So you're just gonna sulk during break?"

Kuroko shook his head. "No. I'm going to spend some time with #2."

The red-head gawked. "You're going to spend your break with _THAT_ animal?" He snorted, giving the bluenette a look of pure pity.

Not liking the red-head's look, Kuroko asked, "Kagami-kun, what are you doing then?"

Kagami grinned smugly. "I'm going back to America with Alex and Tatsuya. I'm spending Christmas with them and we're gonna play some street basketball just like the old days! I'll be back when school starts though."

Kuroko stared at his friend's gleeful face. "You must really love them, Kagami-kun."

"What kind of a question is that, Kuroko!" Kagami remarked. "Of course, I love them...I took your advice and patched things up with Tatsuya."

"That's good, Kagami. When do you leave for America?"

Kagami smiled sheepishly. "Tonight. Sorry, Kuroko. I really wanted to spend some time with you but we had to book our flights early. It's cheaper, you know?"

Kuroko nodded. "I understand, Kagami-kun. Did you pack yet?"

"Kind of."

"You should go home and pack up."

Kagami nodded. "I don't want you spending time by yourself, you got that! You could even spend some time with your crazy middle school friends for all I care, just don't spend Christmas with your dog. That would seriously suck!"

Kuroko nodded, making a tiny smile.

Kagami reached into his bag and pulled something out. He grew stiff, averting his eyes, and held a small gift bag in the air. "This is for you, Kuroko."

"What is it?"

"It's a gift, duh! You have to open it to know what it is!" Kagami replied. He looked at the phantom and muttered, "Geez, you act like you're not from this world, Kuroko."

Kuroko ignored his comment. "Can I open it now?"

Kagami tilted his head, thinking. "I guess you can if you want...yeah, you should do it. I wanna see your face when you open it!" He grinned toothily.

"O-okay." Kuroko slipped his hand into the bag and fished around the multi-colored tissue papers. He pulled out a silver card with blue designs swirling all over the card. He read the name on the card. Light blue eyes sparkled. "This is a gift card."

The red-head laughed smugly. "Yep! It lasts for one whole month! Now, you can get your vanilla milkshakes for free once a day!" He noticed that the bluenette remained frozen, staring at the card intensely. "Make sure you don't lose it, Kuroko."

Kuroko tore his gaze away from the gift card and bowed. "Thank you very much, Kagami-kun. I didn't give you anything though."

Kagami grinned. "It's okay. You helped me achieve my goal. I beat the generation of miracles, you included."

"Huh? When did you beat me?"

"You were the first one I played against, Kuroko! How could you forget?" Kagami shook his head in disbelief.

Remembering their little match, Kuroko nodded. "I remember now. I don't think of myself as a part of their group though."

Kagami shrugged. "Some people think of you as a member of that ridiculous group, Kuroko. Don't underestimate yourself too much."

Hearing a ringing sound, the red-head answered his phone and suddenly pulled it away from his ear. "A-alex, you don't have to shout so loud!"

Watching the scene, Kuroko cocked his head. "Kagami-kun, you're the one shouting now."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm coming...What? Wait for me! I wanna go with you to pick up Tatsuya, too!" Kagami replied, quickly pressing the phone to his chest. He looked at Kuroko and smiled apologetically. "I gotta go now, Kuroko. Have a good break!"

Kuroko waved once and turned to leave.

… time gap, evening...

"No more school, no more practice, _and_ my schedule is free for the entire break!" Kise cheerily stated. He leaned forward to sip his drink. "I haven't had spare time for myself in such a long time!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know just how extremely busy you are, Kise," Aomine muttered. He gazed out the window, completely bored. "I just wanna go home and sleep again."

Momoi frowned. "All you do is eat, sleep, and play basketball, Dai-chan!"

"There's nothing more to life than basketball and winning of course." Aomine smirked, making the pink-haired friend want to rip her long hair out of her head.

"Mo~! You're so annoying!" Momoi shut her eyes and crossed her arms. "Hmph! I'm gonna spend some time with Tetsu-kun!"

"Speaking of Kurokocchi, is he coming?" Kise asked, a grin forming on his lips. "I never got the chance to congratulate him. Winter Cup was weeeeeks ago, too~!"

Aomine quirked a brow at the model's childish antics. "Don't be such a baby, baka."

Momoi nodded. "Ignore Dai-chan. He's just being grouchy. I called Tetsu-kun and he said that he'd come."

"Ohayou~!" Murasakibura greeted, entering the restaurant with a certain red-head captain. "I'm starved. Let's eat!"

Kise sighed. "All you do _is_ eat."

"Meannie~!" the purple-haired giant said, taking a seat next to Midorima. Akashi sat next to Murasakibura. He was about to say something when Momoi's pretty face glowed and she waved at someone. They all looked to see Kuroko entering with a little dog in his arms.

"Did you get permission to bring that thing in, Kurokocchi?" Kise asked.

Kuroko sat next to Momoi, who beamed happily, and nodded. "Of course I did, Kise-kun. The manager said I could as long as he didn't make a mess." The phantom fixed his look-a-like dog on his lap, allowing its head to pop up over the table.

"So what are we here for?" Aomine asked, looking sleepy. He yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. Momoi smacked the back of his head, scolding him for being so rude.

"Thank you, Momoi. I would have lectured him myself, but your hit seemed to be much more beneficial," Akashi stated, clearly not impressed with the tanned teen's behavior. Momoi smiled. "No problem, Akashi-kun!"

Kuroko eyed Aomine as he rubbed the back of his head. "I fear for your health, Aomine-kun. Please act more proper next time."

"Tch. Whatever." Aomine clucked his tongue and crossed his arms, glaring at Akashi and Momoi. He narrowed his eyes at Kuroko which caused the dog to bark at him. Kuroko turned to look at Aomine. "Did you need something, Aomine-kun?"

"Your dog is weird."

"No, he is not, Aomine-kun." Kuroko made a small frown. "You're the weird one."

Momoi scowled at Aomine. He was stealing her Kuroko-time from her, making the phantom waste his breath by arguing over such useless things. She smiled sweetly, turning her face so that only Aomine could see, and said, "Dai-chan, please stop making such dumb comments..." She leaned closer to him, whispering, "or else I will burn all of your magazines, got it?"

Aomine nodded, fearing for the safety of his dear magazines. Akashi made a slight smirk. That was Teiko's manager alright.

"Where were we again?" Momoi asked suddenly, resuming her happy face.

"Winter break, do lots of things, blah, blah, blah," Aomine answered with a huff. Kuroko nodded, placing a hand on his dog's head.

"Ah!" Kise suddenly said, snapping. He set his golden eyes on Kuroko and grinned. "Congrats on your win, Kurokocchi! You were so cool!"

"Thank you, Kise-kun."

"Now that I know what you can do. I won't go easy on you next time." Kise smirked, his fingers brushed the side of his cold drink.

"You surprised me, Tetsu," Aomine said, sitting up straighter. "I didn't know you could do that."

"I don't want to talk about Kuro-chin anymore!" Murasakibara whined. "He beat all of us, let's stop rubbing it in our face."

Kise grinned. "Looks like someone hasn't got over it!"

The giant glared at Kise. "Bully~!"

Kise leaned back, throwing his hands in the air. "And here I thought everyone had gotten over it. I bet Akashicchi, Midorimacchi, and Murasakibaracchi are the ones who haven't got over their defeat!"

"HUH? What are you talking about, dumbass!" Midorima shot back, gripping his orange teddy bear angrily. "I already got over that a long time ago!"

"Ryota, you want to die that badly." Akashi stated, his fingers inching towards his red scissor.

Staring at the scene, Kuroko felt his heart grow warm. It had been so long since he saw all of them argue like this. Momoi smiled unconsciously as the phantom teen clutched the dog to his chest, a tiny smile gracing his lips too. And then, she heard him laugh. Her heart skipped a beat, her breath shallowed, her sight became blurry with happy tears.

Everyone stopped arguing to look at their sixth man actually laugh. Kuroko was almost all the time stoic.

"Kurokocchi _laughed_," Kise stated, completely shocked. Then, there was a loud thud. Kise turned to find an unconscious Momoi. "AH! She fainted again!"

Akashi shook his head. This was definitely Teiko's manager alright.

"Tetsu, stop doing that will ya?" Aomine asked while poking Momoi.

Kuroko cocked his head. "Stop doing what, Aomine-kun? I didn't do anything."

"Making her faint, duh. She faints so easily around you," Aomine muttered. "Man, she's so troublesome...I just wanna read my magazines."

"You're disgusting, Aomine-kun," Kuroko said, realizing what magazines Aomine itched to read.

"Huh? How am I disgusting!"

"Don't read those stuff, Aomine-kun."

"It's better than reading your light novels! _BABY_ books, those are _baby_ books!" Aomine stuck his tongue at the bluenette.

"Don't make fun of my books, Aomine-kun!"

"Mine-chin's bullying Kuro-chin~!" Murasakibara stated, pointing at Aomine.

"Hah! Bring it on! I can take on the two of you together!" Aomine declared, shoving Momoi aside.

"Oi, be careful with her, dumbass! She's not awake yet!" Kise shouted, trying to keep the female manager in one piece.

Akashi looked at Midorima, who gazed out the window in irritation, and sighed.

They were still the same.

…

"Tet-su-kun?" Momoi mumbled, rubbing her eyes. _Where am I?_

"You sure you can walk home by yourself?" she heard Aomine asking.

"I'll be fine, Aomine-kun." _Tetsu-kun? What's going on?_ she thought.

"Okay then."

"Tell Momoi-san I said bye."

"Sure, whatever you say, Tetsu."

She felt Aomine turn and assumed that he was walking away from the phantom. _I'm going home? Is it all ready over? I missed my chance to spend time with Tetsu-kun!_ The pink-haired teen snuggled against Aomine's back, sniffing.

"Oi, don't get my shirt wet, Satsuki."

"I miss Tetsu-kun," she murmured.

Aomine sighed, looking up at the night sky. "You'll see him when we meet up for the trip two days from now."

Momoi lifted her head. "What trip?"

"We decided it while you were knocked out cold. We're going to one of Akashi's parent's resort."

Momoi smiled. _So I didn't miss my chance then!_

"By the way, get off me."

"You're so mean, Dai-chan!"

"Hey, I was only going to carry you because you were unconscious. Now you're not, so you can walk. Besides, you're pretty heavy."

"Ruuuude~!"

…

"_We'll meet at Akashicchi's house then?" Kise questioned._

_Akashi nodded. "I asked my father and he said we could go."_

"_Ahh, hot springs during the winter. Two weeks at a resort. That sounds refreshing," Aomine muttered. "All I need is my magazines then."_

"_I can bring my snacks, right, Aka-chin?" Murasakibara asked, smiling eagerly._

"_Yes, you can, Atsushi."_

"_Yay~!"_

"_Then I can bring #2, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked. Akashi quirked his brows, not sure what that meant. Kuroko lifted his dog up. _

"_You named a dog '#2', Tetsuya?" Akashi asked, amused with the odd name._

_Kuroko nodded. "His full name is Tetsuya #2. My team decided it."_

"_Huh, weird as ever, Kurokocchi."_

_Kuroko shrugged. Midorima pushed his glasses back. "I will bring whatever Oha Asa tells me to bring."_

"_Of course, you would, Midorimacchi! You wouldn't be Midorimacchi if you didn't carry those crazy stuff around with you!"_

"_Shut up, Kise!" Midorima remarked. "That was an insult, how rude of you."_

Kuroko smiled a bit as he remembered their conversation. It had been a while since he went to a meeting. Everything was laid back and the atmosphere was calm, no tension in the air at all. When he reached his apartment complex, he marched up the stairs onto his floor, the third one, and soon stopped outside his door.

Why were the lights on?

And then, the door to his apartment opened. "It's been a while, Tetsuya-chan!"

Kuroko turned to look at a familiar blonde, standing in front of his door. "Hello, Hikaru-kun. What are you doing in my house?"

Hikaru flashed the teen a sly smile. "I heard you were in town so I decided to pay you a visit, Tetsuya-chan."

The phantom narrowed his eyes. "Nii-sama sent you, didn't he?"

Hikaru cocked his head, causing his blonde bangs to hang over his hazel eyes. "Why would you say that?"

"You're his best friend. You two are partners in crime." Kuroko stepped inside his house, not minding Hikaru. He slipped off his shoes and set his dog on the floor. "What did you come here for?"

Hikaru locked the door. He sauntered into the living room and dropped onto the couch, surveying the room. "This a simple cozy place, just your style, isn't it?"

Kuroko nodded, pouring some food for #2. "Please don't avoid my question, Hikaru-kun."

Hikaru sat up straight and chuckled. "Ame was right. You're still as serious as ever."

Kuroko gave him a look and Hikaru held his hands up. "I'm on an errand. That's why I'm here."

"Errand? In Tokyo?" Kuroko asked, curious. The blonde simply nodded.

"Did you finish it?" the bluenette asked, walking into his kitchen to put away the dog feed.

Hikaru pursed his lips. "Well..."

…

"Seijuro-sama," an old man said. "A delivery man came and dropped this off. It's for you."

Akashi took the smooth, ebony black envelope. "Thank you, Toru-san."

"My pleasure, young master. Dinner is being served. Please head over there once you have changed."

"I wil."

Akashi filtered through the numerous hallways and entered his room. He carefully opened the envelope and found a white card with blue words in the center.

_Your presence is requested at The Other World's Competition._

_Many basketball players, though not all, have been invited._

_Please keep this confidential. _

_-Some words from your requester-_

"_Akashi-taichou, it is my pleasure to invite you to this competition. If you accept this invitation, please meet me at the torri in front of the Tokyo Shrine two days from now at noon."_

_Hope to see you, _

_Tsukino Ame._

…

"What kind of a name is that," Aomine muttered. "The other world's competition? Ridiculous as hell."

"Dai-chan, don't say that! You should be glad Tsukino-san invited you," Momoi said, lying on a futon. She scooted closer to her childhood friend and smiled, twiddling her two fingers.

Aomine moaned into the invitation. "Okay, okay. I get it, Satsuki. You want to tag along."

"Of course, I do!"

Aomine lied on his own bed. "I don't care. If you want to come, just come."

"Do you think the others were invited?"

Aomine smirked. "It doesn't matter. All I know is that I'm gonna win!"

Momoi frowned. "...but isn't that the day of the trip?"

Aomine nodded. "I'm sure the others got this too. After all, we are the generation of miracles."

…

"Hmm, another competition?" Kise muttered, lying on his bed as he stared at the ceiling.

"That sounds fun!"

…

"Oha Asa was correct as usual. I did find something interesting today."

Holding the black envelope in his hands, Midorima smiled slightly.

…

"I wonder if there's going to be free snacks?" Murasakibara pondered. He glanced at the invitation again, hoping it said there was going to be free snacks.

…

"Well... not exactly, Tetsuya-chan."

"What do you mean?" Kuroko asked.

Hikaru shook his head. "It's a surprise."

"I don't understand," Kuroko said, confused.

The blonde walked over to the bluenette. He stuck his hand in Kuroko's hair, messing it up, and brought his finger to the center of the phantom's forehead. He leaned closer to Kurko and smiled.

"I bought you some clothes, _cutie-pie_."

"You're being weird," Kuroko replied. "And don't call me that. It sounds creepy."

"I can't help it. You're just too cute." Hikaru shrugged and tapped his finger on Kuroko's forehead once. "You're gonna black out for a while, Tetsuya-chan, but it's nothing harmful."

Kuroko stepped away from him. "What did you do, Hikaru-kun?"

Hikaru grinned. "Just a bit of my magic."

He watched as Kuroko's blue eyes began to droop closed. Before the unconscious teen could fall, Hikaru caught him. "You're so light, Tetsuya-chan." He tucked the small boy into bed and shut off the lights.

"Goodnight, Tetsuya-chan."

Hikaru walked out of the apartment, locking it. "We'll be waiting at home."

* * *

A/N: Hi guys! I hope this is starting to get somewhere...that sounded weird, didn't it? I should know where I'm going with this story, but honestly, I'm writing this story chapter by chapter and things are constantly popping in my head throughout the days. The good thing for you guys is that _this_ particular story is constantly on my mind, so I'll still be updating. I definitely don't want this story to go on a hiatus (I hope that answers your question, **jennelyn12** ).

**Awsomeangel**: I'm thinking that this will be BL. I don't know who Kuroko's gonna get paired up with at the end. As of right now, I'm leaning towards AkaKuro. I'm not completely sure though. Of course, (this goes for everyone) if you have a certain pair you want, you can tell me it via a review...oh wait, you did (I forgot you were the one who reviewed AmexKuro. Ame is a cutie, isn't he?). Anyways, I'll take it into consideration.

**NoImagination**: You're right. Kuroko's not fully human. I pretty much figured that I'm just giving off so much unknown and mysterious information to you guys. BUT, the coming chapter_s_ are going to explain Kuroko and his whole light situation. I'd love to say more things regarding this matter, but I don't want to spoil it... so wait for me please :)

**cattceli:** I want to show more sides of Kuroko and now that the plot is starting move, I think I am going to be able to show more of him. I just hope I don't make him seem too out of character :p

**Land on the stars**: I've read a lot of Kuroko fanfics and he's usually a weak character, whether that's explicitly stated or not, which is why I wanted to write a story where he's strong...ish? I just want to have him strong and weak. I don't know if that makes sense...anyways, a balanced character is what I'm aiming for! There we go.

To** 3j4**, **Another observer of the world**, **Gentle Snow**, **Caithlinn13**, **allenfan**, and **Guest**, thank you very much for reviewing. I love reading people's reviews. All of you guys made my day! And to all of you invisible readers, thank you for reading. BIG shout out to those who favorited and followed as well!

FYI: 'Torii' is that japanese arch that's usually red and posted in front of shrines. I intentionally put that thing there, not because I'm trying to make the story have a more japanese environment. That's nice in its own way as well. What did you think about this chapter? *coughHikarucoughcough*

Thanks for reading! ^-^


	4. Chapter 4

**The Lost Light**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I guess that makes four OCs now: Ame, Hikaru, Aoi and Toru. You think the mangaka would lend me GoM for a day? lol.

Sorry for the wait.

* * *

_*Chapter 4: Hikaru's Spell_

... four days later...

_Kuroko looked around in panic, flapping his arms around. He kicked his legs, trying to swim upwards. What was going on? He was just standing on the shore of the beach and now he was underwater in the ocean? The phantom player desperately swam upwards and as he swam, he thought, I would never go in the ocean._

_He was nearing the surface of the water, ready to pop his head above the water, when all of a sudden, he was yanked back. Firm hands gripped his throat, the person's thumbs pressed against his adam's apple. Kuroko tried to elbow the person behind him, but the water slowed down his movements. He writhed his body, trying to free himself from the hold._

"_Don't be such a bad boy, Tetsuya," a voice said in a chiding manner. _

_Blue eyes widened at the sound of the voice. Fear shot through Kuroko's body. The phantom opened his mouth to yell for help but water rushed into his mouth, making him choke and cough. The mysterious person dragged Kuroko deeper into the ocean, deeper into the dark depths. _

With a startled gasp, Kuroko woke up from his dream. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to forget the vivid dream. He curled into a ball, clutching the warm blanket closer to his body, and snuggled into his pillow. He shut his eyes for some seconds and sat up. Why did his pillow feel so big? He looked down at the white and blue pillow, seeing that it looked the same as always. He looked down at his blanket, finally noticing that there was a two foot gap from his feet to the end of his blanket.

And then he remembered that Hikaru was here just a while ago. Kuroko pulled his suddenly-too-big blanket off of himself and found that his legs were shorter than they usually were. His pants were baggy on his tiny frame as well as his shirt. The phantom laid on his back again, bringing his small hands to his face.

"_Hikaru,_" he muttered in annoyance and frustration. That blondie must have casted a transformation spell on him earlier. Kuroko got off his bed, frowning when he saw his childish feet dangling off his bed- as if he didn't need to be any shorter! He glanced at the alarm clock, seeing that it was still night time. He looked at the date on his clock and cocked his head in confusion. Wasn't it the seventeenth of December? Why was it the twenty first?

Kuroko sighed in irritation. "Not only did that creep put a spell on me, he put me to sleep!" He remembered the blondie tapping the center of his forehead and...Hikaru _did _say that he bought Kuroko some new clothes. The bluenette finally realized that Hikaru had this all planned out already: the sudden visit, transforming him and putting him to sleep, the new clothes for when his body morphed to that of a child.

The phantom grouchily sauntered into his bathroom, saying one word, "Nii-sama."

... _with GoM ..._

"Oh my KAMI~!" Kise shouted, kicking at the white wall in attempt to escape. "We're gonna die! This mister is a kidnapper! He abducted us!"

The model continued to walk around, rambling crazy things about their deaths while he shook his hands in the air. Meanwhile, Midorima's hand twitched. He was aching to hit Kise again even though he just hit the guy a minute ago. Hearing the model rant about this for _three _freaking days was more than enough for him already.

Momoi sat on the bed, biting her nail. "I'm worried, guys."

"Huh? Ya don't think?" Aomine remarked, sitting on the soft carpet with his back to the wall. He wanted to stay as far as he could from Kise. That guy's current state was absolutely crazy; he was freaking out like today was the end of the world. Of course, that would probably be the normal reaction, considering the fact that they had been sitting in this room for _72_ hours now!

Momoi shook her head. "I'm worried about Tetsu-kun, Dai-chan! What if Tsukino-san has him locked up in some other place?" The pinkette pouted and hugged her knees.

"Hmm. I didn't think of that," Aomine cooly replied, making the girl want to cry.

Akashi nodded, considering the idea. "You might have a point, Momoi. Tetsuya wasn't invited; if he was, he would have shown up at the meeting point where Tsukino-san instructed us to meet. Tsukino-san didn't want to invite him, that's for sure. I called Tetsuya several days ago to tell him that the vacation plan was cancelled, but he didn't pick up."

"Aka-chin, do you mean Kuro-chin's been long gone before we left Tokyo?" Murasakibara asked, pulling out a box of candy from his bag.

Akashi nodded. "Where else would he be? Tetsuya never avoids my calls."

In the mean time, Tsukino Ame was sitting alone in front of a large table, full of delicious food. He had his chin placed on the palm of his left hand and one leg tucked over the other. He smiled sadly. "Do they really not want to join me for lunch, Hikaru?"

Hikaru, dressed in a butler outfit, nodded. "They insisted on not joining you for lunch, Ame. Although, that purple one seemed to think the opposite."

Ame chuckled. "Ah. Murasakibara Atsushi. I'm surprised he's not here eating with me already."

"Loyalty to his friends, I suppose?" Hikaru suggested, placing a tray of onigiri on the table.

Ame smiled. "I see. I guess I'll just have to go bring them myself; after all,_ they_ are the ones who decided to stay cooped up in that luscious room." He frowned. "And I even gave them the option of having individual rooms! It's not like I imprisoned them. Where did I go wrong, Hikaru? "

Ame turned to look at Hikaru with teary eyes. Hikaru shook his head. "When you first said that you weren't human; then you summoned a mouse and put it on fire, Ame. Humans do not like such displays. They aren't very accepting to the idea of non-human forms of life."

Ame sighed and dramatically clutched at his heart, shaking his head sadly. "I just wanted to show them how cool it is to possess magic! I just wanted Kuro-chan's friends to feel at home."

Hikaru quirked a brow. "Home? This is a palace, Ame."

Ame sunk in his chair, sounding defeated. "I know. That's what the blonde boy said too. Anyways, what's going on with Kuro-chan?"

Hikaru grinned. "He should be awake by now. I only gave him a small dosage of my specialty."

Ame nodded. "And his transformation? What age did you revert him to?"

Hikaru poured some wine for himself. "Eight. Was that too young?"

Ame shook his head. "That's fine. As long as he's not in diapers." Hikaru laughed and Ame said, "When do you think he'll come back here?"

Hikaru ceased laughing, deadpanning. "Today. You know how he is with other people casting spells on him and stuff like that." Ame shook his head in amusement. "I'll go fetch the kids; we're gonna have a nice family lunch!"

"Are you properly going to introduce yourself this time, Ame?"

Ame shrugged. "Don't know. I kind of want to play with them. You keep an eye out for little Kuro-chan."

_...with Kuroko..._

After showering, Kuroko quickly got dressed in the new clothes Hikaru purchased for him. He wore a white shirt, a blue sweater and khaki pants. Surprisingly, Hikaru even got the right shoe size for him. Kuroko was currently sitting in his kitchen, listening to his voice mails. He had fifty messages; one of them from Akashi as well as Midorima. Six from Murasakibara. Twenty from Momoi/Aomine and twenty two from Kise.

"_Tetsuya, due to sudden changes in the plan, the trip to the resort's been canceled." _

"_Kuroko, where are you? I understand if this is a bad day for you to come out, after all Aquarius's have bad luck today."_

"_Kuro-chin?"_

"_Kuro-chin? I have a vanilla milkshake in my hand right now."_

"_Kuro-chin? Are you sick?"_

"_Kuro-chin, don't you want to come?"_

"_Ah. My phone just died on me. That's why I had to make a new call. Kuro-chin, do you still have some of those candy you gave me last week?"_

"_Kuro-chin, are you mad at me or are you mad at your friend?" _

Kuroko tilted his head. Why would he be mad at Murasakibara and who was he talking about? What friend?

"_Oi! Tetsu, where the hell are- NOOO~! Dai-chan, go use your own phone! I don't wanna, Satsuki!" _

"_...Stop it, Dai-chan!... OW, that hurt, Satsuki!... Serves you right, BAKA! Tetsu-kun, are you okay?"_

"_Tetsu-kun~! Dai-chan's being very mean to me! Scold him real good for me when you see him, okay?"_

"_Don't listen to her, Tetsu. She's crazy. Anyways, why aren't you picking up?"_

"_Sorry about that Tetsu-kun; Dai-chan keeps stealing the phone from me and."_

"_Hah! Take that Satsuki! Hey, what are you doing to my magazines?"_

"_Hmph! Dai-chan is very stupid sometimes, Tetsu-kun! He keeps interrupting my messages to you by shutting the phone." _

"_Like he just did in the previous messa- you. just. pulled. my. hair. I'M GONNA KILL YOU, DAI-CHAN!" _

"_Tetsu, I locked Satsuki out of my room. *loud sigh* Finally, I can talk to you. So, that weird guy who's been following you sent me an invitation and I- WHAT THE HELL, SATSUKI! ... Dai-chan, sweety, you left your window open. Better think twice next time!" _

Kuroko pulled his phone away from his ears, hearing loud crashes and thumping sounds in the message. He figured that Momoi and Aomine were struggling to get the phone. The message finally ended and a new one came.

"_Sorry about all that noise, Tetsu-kun. *evil laugh* Looks like I won, Dai-chan...That's what you'd like to think, Satsuki!" _

Kuroko sighed. Their 20 messages were probably just intervals of their argument.

"_Tetsu, back to what I was saying. That guy sent me an invitation, saying that there's gonna be a competition called- DAI-CHAAAAAN~!" _

"_Hi, Tetsu-kun! I'll just finish what he had to say. So, basically, Tsukino-san sent an invitation to Dai-chan. Apparently, there's gonna be basketball competition called 'The Other World's Competition' and."_

"_That's a stupid name, don't you think, Tetsu?"_

"_Baka Dai-chan! You ruined it for me!"_

"_AWW, Satsuki's getting all mad now~"_

"_Dai-chan, you are absolutely infuriating! Even Kagami's not as bad as you!"_

"_HUH? Why are you talking about him now? Only I can beat myself, Satsuki!"_

"_Reality check, Dai-chan: SEIRIN WON AGAINST YOU! And, Tetsu-kun, thank you very much for keeping your promise. Dai-chan needed a good slap in the face."_

"_What are you talking about? Tetsu's never laid a hand on my face. Besides, I'm too tall for him to do that. No offense to you, Tetsu."_

Kuroko stared at the phone, upset at the message Aomine left. "I do take offense to that, Aomine-kun."

"_Let's call a truce, Dai-chan? We can't keep doing this. I need to talk to Tetsu-kun and you keep hogging it...Fine, Satsuki. You can't call him and neither can I... What are you doing?...What does it look like I'm doing? I'm throwing your phone out the window. See ya at the Other World's Competition, Tetsu!" _

Kuroko winced as he heard Momoi's phone smash to the concrete. Aomine's room was located on the second floor, too. Kuroko felt bad for Momoi, but he figured that she'd have Aomine buy her a new phone. "Aomine-kun's such a trouble maker," Kuroko murmured. "But why would Nii-sama bring them there?"

"_Moshi moshi? Kurokocchi? Hey, that kind of rhymed! Where are you? I'm at the movies right now. Do you wanna come?"_

"_Ah, Kurokocchi, I'm so scared. I'm watching a horror movie. I wish you came. No one else wanted to come with me. I gotta hang up before anyone sees me with my phone because you're not suppose to talk during a movie, you know?"_

"_Man, oh man, Kurokocchi! That movie was soooo not scary. Heh, I can't believe I even watched that."_

"_Kurokocchi, wanna eat dinner together?"_

"_Kurokocchii, why aren't you picking up?'_

"_Kurokocchi, I'm on my way to your apartment." _

"_Kurokocchi, I'm standing in front of your door. I just knocked. I'm waiting for you to open the door."_

"_Kurokocchi, I'm still waiting... Ah! Akashicchi just texted me. The trip's been cancelled. Are you even home, Kurokocchi?"_

"_I'm sad, Kurokocchi. Why aren't you answering? Fine! I'll just go hang out with Kasamatsu!"_

"_KUUUUROOOOKOOOCCHHI~... Kise, give me your phone. You're drunk." _

Kuroko arched his brows at the sound of Kasamatsu's voice. "So he really did go to Kasamatsu? And he's drunk?" The phantom shook his head at the scene of a drunk Kise.

"_This is Kuroko Tetsuya phone number, right? Kise's kind of drunk and he keeps crying for you. I don't know if there's something going on between you, but could you come lend me a hand? He's talking to the pole, thinking that it's you when it's obviously not." _

"_Kise Ryota! Stop talking to the pole! Don't go talking to the bush now!...I WANT KURRRROOOOOKOOOOCCCCHHHII~"_

"_Please come to the Ageha train station, Kuroko. I'll give him to you; I don't know how much more I can take... NO! No, sempai! Don't tell Kurokokokoko-Bwahahahah!" _

"_It's all the drink's fault, Kuroko. We went to a party and someone spiked the drinks. I guess, Kise didn't know and went ahead drinking lots of the punch. Are you even listening to your messages?"_

"_Kuurrrokooooo, I looooove you s-s-s-s-soooooo much from the very bottom of my heart to the round parts of my heaaaaart~" _

"_Kise's becoming even more unstable now, Kuroko." _

"_Oooohh. Oooohhh. caught in a bad romance with Kuurrrokooccchi!"_

"_Rah, rah, ah-ah-ha! Rama, ramama, ah! Kurokocchi, I want you!"_

"_Kise, stop! Stop that! Kuroko, get over here! Listen to what he's saying now: ...You know that I want you! You know that I need you. I want your love. I want your ugly. I want your everything, Kuroookooo-chiiiiiyayayaya!"_

Kuroko facepalmed. "Kise-kun, that idiot."

"_I want your looooove and I want your revenge! You and me could write a bad romance! Ooohh ohhhh..."_

"_This is Kasamatsu. Kise's out of hand now; I finally got his phone back. I decided to call this Akashi person since you're clearly busy." _

Kuroko sighed. He wondered how Akashi dealt with a drunk Kise. "I guess I have no choice but to go back home." The blue-haired child held his palm in the air, a light blue aura glowed around his tiny hands. A silver, electric-looking oval appeared from thin air. It slowly opened, showing an empty hallway on the other side.

...

"Go ahead," Ame said, smiling with encouragement. He wiggled a finger at the group of humans. "Eat."

Kise, sitting rigid as ever, gulped as he looked at the food. Sure, they _looked_ tasty but he wasn't sure if the man had poisoned their meals. "You eat first. Take a bite. Now."

Ame shrugged. "Sure." He munched on a piece of chicken. Kise pointed at the onigiri. "Eat the onigiri."

Ame laughed and bit from the rice dish, squirming in pleasure from the taste. Murasakibara swallowed, looking happy as ever, and said, "Everyone should eat. I'm positive there's no poison."

"That is until you drop dead on the ground," Kise remarked deathly. The model gaped as Akashi picked up a piece of tofu with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth, chewed, and successfully swallowed. Akashi turned to look at Kise. "Kise, stop staring at me. Eat already."

Kise made a hesitant face as Aomine dug in and Momoi took a sip from her cup. _If everyone dies, it's not my fault. _Using his spoon, he sipped some of the warm liquid from the bowl of seaweed soup.

Ame placed his chin on his linked hands. "How is it, Kise-chan?"

Kise tried to make an indifferent face. "I-It's okay."

"Good. As long as you're satisfied," Ame said cheerily. He leaned back in his chair as Hikaru entered the room, pushing a cart. Momoi's eyes sparkled at the sight of a large white cake with strawberries layered on top. The whipping cream was placed in neat, pretty swirls. She bit her lip, trying to keep herself from squealing in delight. If she ever got married to Kuroko, this was her cake. It was magnificent. "It looks so..._regal_."

Ame smiled at her comment. "Yes, it does, doesn't it?"

Momoi nodded, completely mesmerized by the desert. Hikaru bowed when Momoi looked at him. He gracefully sliced the cake into proportions. "Ladies first," he said, smoothly placing a plate of cake in front of her.

"Do you cook?" Hikaru asked. Momoi looked up at him; this was her first time getting to see him so close. He had silky, blond hair. Fair skin. She forced herself to look away and said, "Kind of. I'm not that good though."

"You can say that again," Aomine muttered. Momoi made a face at him. Hikaru chuckled. "I'd be happy to help you if you'd like."

"R-really?" Momoi asked, surprised. Her mom didn't like to teach her stuff like cooking or sewing. Akashi narrowed his eyes. They weren't trying to separate the group, were they? He wondered what they had in plan.

"Did you want to say something, Akashi-taichou?" Ame asked. He could see the suspicion in the red-head's eyes.

Akashi smirked. "You read my mind, Tsukino-san."

"Go on ahea-_Oh._ Will you look at who we have here?" Ame suddenly said. The group of miracles turned their heads to see a young child enter the dining room. Hikaru grinned. "What did I say, Ame?"

Ame shook his head in disbelief. "You're as good as always, Hikaru."

Murasakibara tilted his head. "Hmm. He looks like..."

Momoi practically had hearts in her eyes. If she ever had a child with Kuroko, this is exactly how their child would look like. A smaller replica of Kuroko. "He's so cute!"

Aomine stared at the kid. "He looks like Tetsu. The blue hair and serious eyes."

"Blank face, too," Midorima added.

Kise pursed his lips. "But he doesn't have a low presence like Kurokocchi."

Akashi eyed the young child who stood a few feet away from Ame. "Would you care to introduce yourselves as well as the child, Tsukino-san?"

Ame stood up and smiled. "My pleasure, Akashi-taichou. Hikaru, come over here." Ame looked down at Kuroko and pinched his soft cheeks. "You're _so_ cute."

Kuroko moved Ame's hand away from his face and took several steps back, increasing the distance between him and his older brother. Before Ame could say anything, an oval appeared in mid-air and out came a girl with long blue hair and dark pink eyes. She wore a high school uniform, dark skirt and white blouse with the blazer folded over her arms.

"I knew I sensed you Tetsuya!" the newcomer exclaimed with a bright smile. The minute her foot touched the floor, the portal zipped shut and disappeared. She dashed over to the little boy and hugged him. "Aww, you're so adorable! Kuroko Tetsuya, where have you been these past 5 years!"

"WHAT!" Aomine, Kise and Momoi yelled. Akashi smirked. "I thought so. You really aren't human."

* * *

A/N: Whew! Finally got this chapter up. Working on the next one. I was listening to lady gaga when I did Kise's part...so yeah, excuse the weirdness and Kise's inaccuracy to sing the song 'Bad Romance' in its proper order. He was drunk after all. Thanks for reading! Review please.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Lost Light**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Guess what? I woke up this morning and the GoM were sitting in my kitchen, waiting for me with a table full of breakfast..._not :'(_

* * *

_*Chapter 5: Trust _

"What do you mean you can't revert Tetsuya back to his original state, Hikaru!" the newcomer shouted. The minute she learned that Hikaru had cast a spell on Kuroko, she grew angry. With a flick of her wrist, she threw a tiny dagger at Hikaru who ducked. The dagger popped a balloon.

"And why are there balloons?" she demanded. "I leave for a week and you go off throwing a party, Ame?"

"It's a welcome party for Kuro-chan and his friends, Aoi," Ame said. "By the way, it might take a few more days until Kuroko can morph back to his current body."

"Aoi-chan, you shouldn't have done that," Kuroko chided, looking up at her. "You could have really hurt Hikaru." Aoi felt her heart suddenly speed up when she saw the child stare at her. Such innocent eyes. She nodded and muttered an apology to Hikaru who simply pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Don't forget about us," Akashi reminded. Momoi was still fawning over the child form of Kuroko.

Ame did a gentleman bow. "Excuse my forgetfulness. I am Tsukino Ame, prince of the Sora kingdom, and older brother of Kuro-chan." He finished with a smirk and some of the miracles let out a surprised sound.

"You're really not a prince, are you?" Aomine asked, not believing the sudden news. Though, that could explain the palace he called his home.

Kuroko sighed. "Aomine-kun. Yes, he is. Clarification: I'm his adopted brother; hence the different last names."

"Oh," Kise said, feeling relieved for some reason. Ame pouted. "Kuro-chan's such a party pooper."

The little child shook his head. "I'm saving me some trouble since you've already created some."

"I only kept them waiting until you came; this is when the real party starts," Ame replied with a grin.

"I'll just continue the flow then," Hikaru said. "My name is Hikaru and no, I am not a real butler. I only dressed as one to fit the party theme. I'm Ame's best friend."

Aoi beamed. "Hi! My name's Aoi. I'm a good friend of theirs. I also live in the palace too."

Aomine leaned back in his chair. He said with irritation, "Could someone please tell me if there's an actual competition going on or what?"

Ame smiled. "I never said there wasn't."

"So there _is_ one?"

Ame nodded, looking smug. "Yep. However, it's our version of basketb-OW! That hurt Kuro-chan! Why did you kick me!"

The miracles turned to look at the child. "I felt like doing it. Consider it as payback for turning me like this and why did you even suggest the competition?"

Ame rubbed his leg. "Well, I haven't enrolled their names in the competition yet. They were just bait so that you'd come back home, Kuro-chan. I did a pretty good job, eh?"

Kuroko shook his head. "No, nii-sama. You brought them into a world they can't survive in."

Ame frowned. "Yeah. I know that. It's not like I planned on letting them wander outside my palace. Kami knows what would happen to them. They could lose an arm or even worse, be eaten by those animals out there."

"So you lied to us," Midorima phrased. Ame laughed.

"That's a yes," Akashi confirmed. Aomine stood up. "Wait a minute! Ya think I'm just gonna walk away from a competition especially when I know about it?"

Kuroko nodded. "Aomine-kun, you actually don't know much about it."

"Tetsu," Aomine said, looking hopeful. "You can explain it to us."

"You're not even qualified," Aoi remarked. "You have to have magic in order to participate; you're only humans. You can't do it."

Momoi pursed her lips. Her woman intuition was tingling. "Well, can't you just lend some magic to us?"

"That's my Satsuki! Use your brain!"

Momoi stuck her tongue at him. "I mean we're already here; there's no point in going back home empty handed."

"Consider it as payback for lying to us," Akashi said. "The generation of miracles always wins. We will win your basketball."

Ame looked at Hikaru who shrugged, not really caring. Aoi nodded, considering the idea. "Humans playing our basketball? Sounds interesting. If you really want to play the game, be my guest."

Kuroko shook his head. "No. I am completely against this."

"Kurokocchi, believe in us."

"I can't."

"Well, that was a first," Midorima commented.

"Tetsu, come on. Have some trust," Aomine added. Wasn't trust Kuroko's thingy anyways?

"As of now, I can't trust the fact that my friends will be putting their lives on the line just to play basketball. This isn't the human world; you're not just going to sprain your ankle or break a bone. You could really die in this game and I don't want to be responsible for that." Kuroko crossed his arms.

Ame nodded. "The choice is up to Kuro-chan since he's probably the only one capable of dividing his magic to six people much less having enough magic to spare on himself."

"Huh?" said Aomine. "I'm lost. Are you saying Tetsu's better than you?"

Ame, feeling offended, replied, "No! I'm saying that Kuro-chan's strength resides in the fact that he can easily give some of his magic to others. When he gives his magic to someone, it boosts the receiver's performance. It's like getting extra energy."

"Hmm, but Tetsuya-chan's never lent his magic to those with no magic at all," Hikaru said.

Kuroko crossed his arms. His voice monotone. "It would be the same thing as giving magic to those already possessing magic; I just have to give more magic to those with no magic powers, but who cares, I'm still against this idea."

Ame smiled sadly. "If Kuro-chan says no, then I can't enroll you in the competition. Sorry, guys."

"Why can't you lend us your magic, mister?" Kise asked. Kuroko shook his head. Kise had the audacity to even ask Ame this in front of him?

"I'm the prince. It would look bad if I easily lent my magic to a group of humans. Even if I lent my magic to my people, the other kingdoms would get riled up, thinking that I'm weak, and then they would launch an attack. I wouldn't want that."

"Why would they think you're weak?" Momoi asked.

"Think about it. Why would I have to lend my magic? If I lent my magic, that's because my people aren't strong enough and I'm talking magic-wise. If my people aren't strong, then I'm not strong. If another kingdom attacked my kingdom, my people couldn't protect themselves and I obviously wouldn't be able to protect all my citizens. It's a tough decision: save my people or kill the enemy," Ame explained. "Thankfully, my people are quite strong. They have enough of their own magic to protect themselves."

"Has there been a case where you were forced to lend your magic?" Midorima asked, interested.

Ame laughed. "Of course. That's when I'm leading my army during a war. Wartime is the best time to lend your magic because your soldiers are going to eventually deplete their magic; they're gonna need an extra charge of magic and that's where I come in. It's my responsibility to not only lead and fight alongside them, but to also be able to supply them magic when its necessary."

"Strategy and magic," Hikaru commented. "You need that during a war."

"We're trailing away from the real topic," Ame said. "Here's what I propose. You humans have three days to persuade Kuro-chan's mind, okay? And if you do manage to get his approval, I will go enroll your names in the competition. If you don't manage to persuade him, I'll wipe your memory clean and send you back to your world."

"You're gonna erase our memory?" Kise asked. "All of it?"

"Don't be so silly, Kise," Murasakibara replied.

Ame shook his head. "Only the memories concerning our world and you guys meeting us. Everything else will remain intact."

"What about Tetsu-kun?" Momoi asked. "Is he going to stay here with you?"

Ame looked at the child who stared back at him warily. "I don't know, Momoi-chan. I'd love for him to stay home and solve his problems, but I'm positive that once I send you guys back, he'll disappear again. Are you going to stay home with big brother, Kuro-chan?"

Kuroko looked away. Why did he feel like he was in the spotlight now? "...you already know my answer, nii-sama."

Ame turned the other way, both brothers with their backs to each other. "I see. You're really not going to change your mind."

A sad frown appeared on Aoi's face. "...Tetsuya...you...why leave so soon?"

Kise leaned closer to Midorima, whispering, "I feel like I just walked in on a private family scene."

Midorima shut his eyes, trying not to hit the blond because he didn't want to interrupt their talk. He simply pushed Kise's face away from him and motioned for him to be quiet. Aomine felt uncomfortable; he wasn't really fond of sappy, sad situations. He just didn't know how to handle it.

Kuroko quickly looked at his friends. Momoi gave him a small wave. Aomine grinned. Kise smiled. Murasakibara cocked his head while chewing on candy bar. Midorima nodded and crossed his arms. Akashi simply stared back at him with his heterochromic eyes.

Kuroko could see Akashi's eyes challenging him to defy his order. "No matter what you do, I am absolute, Tetsuya."

"Send them back home, Ame." Kuroko turned to leave. "I'll be back later." And then, the little child disappeared into thin air.

"Where did Kurokocchi go?" Kise asked, running over to the spot Kuroko once stood. Aoi twirled strands of her blue hair around her finger. "He transported. It's a basic magic skill, but it can consume a lot of your magic stamina. I'm sure it's nothing much for him."

"Please continue eating your lunch and remember you have three days," Ame said as he walked away. Everyone watched the prince exit the room through the back door. After Ame disappeared, Kise sighed. "He had this tense aura oozing all over the room."

...

Kuroko sat underneath a tree and stared at the Sora Kingdom down below him. It had been a while since he sat on top of this cliff. You could see the farm land and the orchards from here. You could see the more urban areas of the kingdom. You could see the flowers, even though they looked like colorful specks from way up here.

He leaned against the tree and looked up. Its large branches extended over to the edge of the cliff. There were different sizes of leaves. "Ah. It grew up nice and tall."

Kuroko remembered the days when he would come over here and sit and read to his heart's content. He would hide a book or two underneath the large roots. Sometimes, he'd bring a blanket because he would doze off while reading and fall asleep.

...

"Sorry if we ruined your appetite," Aoi said, sitting in Ame's chair.

"Why would you say that, Aoi-san?" Momoi asked. She was still hung up over the fact that Aoi hugged little Kuroko.

"You guys aren't really eating."

"We did eat before you came," Midorima said.

Hikaru sighed in relief. "And here I thought you guys didn't like the food. I'll just have some servants clean up then. Aoi, lead them out of the room. I'll meet you there."

Aoi lead the miracles out of the room and into the large hallways. Akashi appeared next to her and she looked at him. "You're pretty cute for a human. What was your name again?"

"Akashi Seijuro is my name."

"Ah, got it." She turned around and pointed at Kise. "What about you blondie?"

"Kise Ryota! Nice to meet you."

"And you?" She wiggled a finger at Midorima.

"Midorima Shintaro."

"What about you, Mr. Tall Human?"

"Murasakibara Atsushi. Got any candy?"

Aoi laughed and shook her head. "None at all. And what about you?"

"Momoi Satsuki. Pleased to meet you."

Aoi's eyes bulged. "Wow, you've got some big things going on."

Momoi simply smiled. _She's a B-cup, too._ _Aida Riko, you have another groupmate._

"And what about you, mister?" Aoi inquired.

"Don't call me that; it makes me feel old. The name's Aomine Daiki."

"Got it. Okay, now that I know your names, we can go talk somewhere else. Where would you like to go?"

Momoi said first, "How about Tetsu-kun's favorite place in the palace?"

Aoi nodded. "Alright the gallery it is then!"

...

"This is Tetsuya's favorite place," Aoi said and opened the large doors. Aomine nodded, not surprised. "I thought so. This is totally his place."

"Isn't this a library?" Kise stated.

"It does look like one, doesn't it?" she said.

"Except its way bigger," Kise added.

She led them to the center of the gigantic gallery/library and gestured for them to sit. "You are sitting in the center of the room. If you look up, you'll see a translucent ceiling."

She peered upwards, covering her eyes with a hand. "Wow, the clouds look really nice today!" She looked back at the miracles and continued, "This is the main reason why this place is called the gallery, even though it really looks like a prestigious library. Watch and learn."

She sauntered over to the wall and clicked a button on the panel. The lights in the room shut off. The large windows on the left side of the room began to reflect images. Momoi was surprised when she spotted a picture of a teenage Kuroko on the window.

Then the beige walls on the right side of the room glimmered and soon, they were a glossy white color. Kise stared at the wall as he saw two kids running together on a hill. It was like the kids were running down the hill, coming towards him. When they were closer, he realized that it was Aoi and Kuroko running together.

"The windows and the walls make up the gallery feature in this room. That's why Ame decided to name this place as the gallery. There's also the ceiling, too," Hikaru said, entering the room. He had changed his clothes, now donning jeans and a grey shirt.

Everyone looked up to see a night sky filled with stars. A shooting star crossed the ceiling. Aoi walked to the center of the room, joining the others, and stared at the ceiling in awe. She linked her hands behind her back. "Ame specifically designed this room for Tetsuya."

"Really?" Momoi asked.

Aoi nodded and laughed. "Before we had this room, Tetsuya would always lay on the grass at night and stare at the sky. Ame would tell him to go back home but he wouldn't want to go back home because he couldn't clearly see the sky from his room. They would argue so much."

"Yep. So Ame decided to create this place. Tetsuya-chan could sleep in here and watch the sky all he wanted," Hikaru said.

"That's so nice of Tsukino-san!" Momoi said.

"Speaking of that guy, is he okay?" Kise asked.

"I'm sure he's fine. He's probably thinking of some way to help Tetsuya-chan."

"This is a good time to inform us of what's going on," Akashi said, cutting straight to the real problem. "Back when we were in the human world, Tsukino-san appeared and talked with Kuroko. We only caught parts of what they were talking about; of course, it seemed like Tetsuya didn't want to talk about it. Tsukino-san was persistent and mentioned something about bringing him back home. I understand that part now, but there are lots of things we should know."

"You're perfectly okay that we're not human?" Aoi asked.

Aomine shrugged. "I don't really mind. Besides, Tetsu's helped me out in his own way."

"We have to help Kurokocchi! He's our friend."

"Tetsu-kun's an important person to us."

"Kuroko has demonstrated strength that we did not know about. I have to beat him next year."

"Kuro-chin is nice but sometimes we argue. I still like him though."

"And there you have it," Akashi said. "What is going on with Tetsuya?"

"Perhaps we should start from the beginning if you really want to know everything," Hikaru suggested. "Like Tetsuya-chan stated earlier, he was adopted into the Tsukino family; what he didn't say was that he was adopted at the age of eight. He lived at the palace for two years before suddenly disappearing at the age of ten."

"And since then, he's been missing," Aoi said. "Five years and now, we finally find him."

"Why did he disappear?" Murasakibara asked.

"You'd have to understand his powers to know why he left," Aoi answered.

"Kuroko Tetsuya is a unique person. I've never seen anyone with his kind of powers," Hikaru added. "Tetsuya-chan's powers relies on this concept: if there is light, there is darkness. If light is casted in darkness, a shadow forms. Kuroko is a shadow; he is complete when he has light and darkness."

"As of now, he only has half of what he originally had. He had a light but it disappeared or should I say, it was extracted from him. That is why his presence is very low in the human world. The effects of him not having a light is more evident in your world. In our world, it's not as evident. That's why Ame wanted to bring him home because his body will last longer in our world rather than yours," Aoi explained.

"What do you mean by 'extracted'?" Akashi asked.

"Someone took his light," Aoi replied.

"It's still makes me mad when I think about it," Hikaru said. "No one should ever do that. It's immoral!"

Aoi made a pained face. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have asked him to come with me and play at the river."

"Are you still going on about that, Aoi? It wasn't your fault! You were nine for kami's sake!"

"It was my fault! If I didn't...Tetsuya would still be normal! He wouldn't be dying!" Aoi shouted. Hikaru looked away. Momoi shook her head in disbelief. "T-tetsu-kun's dying?"

"What the hell?" Aomine said. "How did we not know this?"

"I'm starting to understand now," Akashi stated, calm. "Tetsuya can't live with only half of his package. In order to live, he needs both light and darkness. It's like a human with no heart. You have your other organs, but without your heart, you will eventually die."

Aoi nodded. "However, Tetsuya won't die like us. He'll just fade away, disappear into nothing. If he has both his light and his darkness, his existence is guaranteed. It's like a shadow that's no longer on the ground; instead, it's become a walking body, able to breathe and eat and do all the things a normal person could do."

"So he left this world to go to our world, looking for his light?" Midorima asked, not entirely getting the gist of it. Why would Kuroko's light be in the human world?

Hikaru nodded. "Ame thinks that the light isn't in the human world. He thinks its being hidden in this world; someone is playing with Tetsuya-chan."

"A despicable thing to do, but if I ever meet that person," Aoi said and smiled, "they will die by my hands."

"Or mine," Hikaru added with a lighter tone. "Ame told me that Tetsuya-chan went to the human world because he was told that his light was there. I don't know who told him that, but his efforts have lead him no where."

"Well, I wouldn't say that Kurokocchi's efforts were a waste," Kise remarked. "He met us and befriended plenty of people. He saw new things and became stronger!"

Aoi smiled, touched by his sudden comment. "Kise does have a point. Maybe it was for the best that he left, Hikaru?"

"I don't know," Hikaru said. "But what I do know is that we need to find his light before the side effects begin to affect him."

"There are side effects?" Aomine asked. "Man, Tetsu's in some deep shit, isn't he?"

"You could say so," Aoi said, not really liking his way of phrasing things, but it did get the point across. "He only has the darkness part right now and I'm sure something will happen because bad things tend to happen when there's only darkness."

"Is this an internal thing?" Kise asked.

"Yes. Although, it could turn into an external thing," Hikaru murmured. "He could succumb to the darkness and I have no idea what that would be like."

"Then, there's his body. It's slowly degrading, but it could get to a point where it eventually collapses," Aoi added. "There's so much things we aren't even aware of. It's nerve-wracking to think that we aren't fully prepared to help Kuroko handle this."

"We're not leaving this world until we help Tetsuya find his light," Akashi stated and for some reason, Aoi felt more relaxed. Maybe it was the idea that they had backup that made her feel less anxious.

"And once we find his light, we're taking him back with us!" Aomine added. Hikaru laughed. "We'll see how that goes."

Momoi smiled. "I will also help Tetsu-kun!"

* * *

A/N: Okay. I hope that gives you a feeling of what Kuroko's going through. Thanks for reading! And tell me if there's anything you're curious about, questions, or anything you don't understand. I'd love to know so I can improve ;)


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